On 27 May 2026, the “Champion Face to Face” event was held at the Qiuzhen Lecture Hall on the Changping Campus of Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT). Dong Dong—an Olympic champion, former coach of the Chinese national trampoline team and professor at Beijing Sport University—was invited to the campus to share his experiences in sports and to discuss striving, health and personal growth with faculty and students.

Dong Dong gave a keynote talk titled “Ballet in the Air: The Art of Trampolining”. Drawing on a sporting career of nearly two decades, he looked back on his journey from beginning gymnastics training at the age of five, switching to trampolining at 13, making his international debut and going on to compete at four Olympic Games. From self-reflection after a setback at the Beijing Olympics to reaching the top of the podium in London; and from persistence and breakthroughs at the Rio and Tokyo Games to working at the grassroots level and educating students after retirement, Dong Dong illustrated with his own experience the power of perseverance, focus, self-discipline and responsibility. Success, he said, has no shortcuts; one must keep the goal in mind and translate it into action: do good deeds without worrying about what lies ahead; the future will reveal its own answers. The talk was sincere, profound and resonant, drawing repeated applause.

In the interactive Q&A session, Dong Dong responded thoughtfully to students’ questions on how to move beyond confusion and overcome self-doubt. He offered three pieces of advice: stay true to what you love, live in the present, and value persistence. The event also featured interactive games, through which students experienced the appeal of sport at first hand and actively embraced the idea of healthy living.

The “Champion Face to Face” event was both a passing-on of the spirit of role models and a vivid lesson in personal growth. The College of Humanities and Law will further fulfill the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, build the “Champion Face to Face” brand of sports-based education, and invite more sports champions and exemplary figures to the campus, guiding young people’s growth through the power of role models and helping students mature through striving and succeed through effort.

Before the event, leading members of the College of Humanities and Law accompanied the guest on a visit to the sports facilities and the library. The two sides held in-depth exchanges on inheriting the spirit of sport, the practice of sports-based education, and the cultivation of students’physical and mental health.

Reflections

After listening to Professor Dong Dong’s lecture, I gained a more grounded understanding of growth and the spirit of sport. His experience proves that growth is a process of constant trial and correction over the long term. Whether facing the ups and downs of four Olympic Games or transitioning from athlete to university teacher, he always tackled concrete difficulties by breaking down movements and reviewing problems. It is this continuous refinement that constitutes true growth. The core of the spirit of sport lies not in medals themselves but in a relentless pursuit of detail and an enduring reverence for one’s calling. He brings the same meticulousness from the arena into the classroom, which shows that the spirit of sport means being able to settle down and do the task at hand as well as possible, in whatever role one plays. This pragmatic, resilient attitude has prompted me to think more deeply about the challenges in my daily study and work.

— Wang Jiatao, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Class 2302

Today’s sharing by Professor Dong Dong left an extremely deep impression on me. As spectators, we tend to marvel only at the highlights of an Olympic champion’s moment on the podium, yet Professor Dong used his remarkable life in sport to show us the years of perseverance and hard work behind his achievements. What moved me most was the calm yet powerful inner strength with which he faced setbacks. Whether it was a defeat on the field or the challenge of changing roles, he always maintained clear self-awareness and down-to-earth action. This made me realize that true growth does not lie in never falling, but in learning from each fall and setting off again. This inspiration drawn from a role model will become a strong motivation to face challenges and continue growing in my studies.

— Li Minghui, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Class 2413

After listening to Professor Dong Dong’s lecture today, what left the strongest impression on me was this: a truly strong person is not one without emotional fluctuations, but one who knows how to manage themselves. He won a medal at each of his four Olympic Games, an impressive achievement.And his success is dazzling and sustained. Yet he was not complacent; instead, he spoke candidly about how to face emotional turmoil. He told us that even at the peak, there will inevitably be noise within. His approach is not to tough it out but to focus on the present, cut off unnecessary overthinking and return to a state of steady action. His story also made me understand that successful people are not born free of confusion; rather, they have learned to stay grounded amid success and pressure, and to avoid being consumed by anxiety. His ability to remain grounded after success and make peace with himself offers valuable guidance as we face academic pressure and uncertainty about the future.

— Li Jinzhu, Class A2512, Business and Law

Today I had the privilege of meeting Professor Dong Dong. Through such a vivid lecture, I gained a great deal and came to appreciate deeply how hard-won the honor of an Olympic champion is. In the lecture, Professor Dong shared insights from his professional career. He emphasized the importance of independent thinking, sound decision-making in competition, and the ability to cope with pressure. As a sports enthusiast, I can well understand the pressure Professor Dong bore during his preparations. Today, the gold-medal-only mentality still troubles many athletes, and many spectators find it hard to show enough tolerance for athletes’ mistakes on the field. Today’s talk showed me how to face similar challenges: keep working hard and building my skills, tune out distractions, and give each challenge my all. What matters is doing my best and growing stronger through each challenge. Facing challenges can help me grow stronger.

— Mei Kangliang, Class A2509, Business and Law

When I saw the notice in our class group last week about a lecture by the Olympic champion Dong Dong, I signed up at once. As a student with a background in sports training, I found the whole session deeply moving. Professor Dong recounted his journey from his early childhood love of sport and the regulation of emotions during competition to the evolution of his views on honors and his training philosophy. Many of his experiences and insights resonated with me, leaving me with much life wisdom to draw on. My greatest gain was the emotional regulation techniques he shared and the importance of always maintaining independent thinking. These two lessons apply beyond sports. They can also guide us in our studies, daily lives, and future decisions, helping us face challenges calmly and stay true to our aspirations. I am grateful to the university for providing this valuable opportunity to learn from an Olympic champion and hear his reflections on life and personal growth. This lecture benefited and inspired me greatly, and I hope the university will organize more events of this kind, so that we can continue to draw strength from role models and press ahead.

— Chen Jingyi, Class 2502, Social Sports